Copyright Registration, Notice, and Enforcement FAQ

Questions:

• Why should I register my work with the U.S. Copyright Office?
• How do I register a copyright?
• What role does a copyright notice play?
• What is a valid copyright notice?
• How are copyrights enforced?
• What are defenses to a claim of copyright infringement?
• Do countries outside the U.S. offer the same copyright protection?

Answer:

What is a valid copyright notice?

A copyright notice should contain:

• the word "copyright"
• a "c" in a circle (©)
• the date of publication, and
• the name of either the author or the owner of all the copyright rights in the published work.

For example, the correct copyright for the fourth edition of The Copyright Handbook, by Stephen Fishman (Nolo), is Copyright © 1998 by Stephen Fishman.